Too late?
by ProFfeSseR
Summary: Luke says no to Lorelai’s proposal and now Rory is gone, there’s no reason for her to stay in Stars Hallow, so she decides to take Mike Armstrong’s job offer. At the airport her flight gets delayed until further notice...


_**A/N:** This story came to me when I was waiting for my flight to Amsterdam in Washington a few weeks ago. When I came home I had to type it out and asked LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict to proofread once I finished. She sent it back to me today and told me I really have to post it, so here it is! Hopefully you will like it as much as you did, and of course, don't hesitate to tell me if you did!_

_To all of you who are reading it doesn't make any sense. I finally decided what I want to do with the story. I'm writing an epilogue now and I will start a sequel after that! I didn't had much time to write the last few weeks since I'm going to Norway for 5 months. I will be leaving tomorrow morning at 5.30 a.m. but I'm bringing my laptop and I can use the internet there so I will post the chapter as soon as I can!**  
**__**  
Summary**: Luke says no to Lorelai's proposal and now Rory is gone, there's no reason for her to stay in Stars Hallow, so she decides to take Mike Armstrong's job offer. At the airport her flight gets delayed until further notice and she goes to a bar where she starts talking to a man... SPOILER FREE!_

**Too late?**

"Delta Airlines flight 8223 to Rome is delayed until further notice."

Lorelai looked up, not quit believing what she just heard. She looked at the woman sitting next to her. "Did they just say Rome?"

"I believe so." The woman turned her attention back to her magazine.

Lorelai stood up and walked towards the information monitors. She had heard right. Behind Rome, flight DL 8223 stood 'delayed until further notice.' "Shit." She cursed inwardly.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong the last few weeks. It's like the whole world turned against her.

She decided to take a walk. If her flight would leave she had to sit down long enough so it would be a good idea to stretch her legs. She looked in a few shops but saw nothing she liked. All souvenirs. She remembered buying all sorts of souvenirs for Rory when she came back from Washington. It was fun buying that stuff while waiting for her flight to arrive. Now she had no one to buy them for. So she gave up on the shopping and saw a bar on the other side. 'Finally a good idea.' She walked to the bar and sat down on one of the bar stools.

"What can I get you ma'am?"

"Gin Martini please."

"There you go." The bartender handed Lorelai the drink.

After 2 more drinks a guy sat down next to her. "You want another one?"

"Sure why not? Don't know how long I'm going to be here anyway."

"You're flight's delayed?"

"Until further notice."

"That sucks."

"Yes it does."

"Where's your flight supposed to go to?"

"Rome."

"Nice city. I've been there once. Amazing landscape, the architecture is brilliant. You're going to have a great time. Are you staying in Rome or travel somewhere else from there?"

"I'm supposed to stay there for a few weeks and go where the wind takes me from there."

"Traveling through Europe?"

"Don't know. I'm a consulter, traveling around the world, telling people how to run an inn. I have to go to Rome for a few weeks and help out some people, and go wherever my boss sends me from there."

"Sounds like an interesting job. How long have you been doing it?"

"Actually it's my first time."

"Just started the job huh? Exciting. What did you do before?"

"I ran my own inn. The company I work for now wanted to buy it and offered me a job. I couldn't sell the place though because I own it together with my best friend. I got the job anyway and if I want I can sell the place later, or just keep it."

"Isn't it hard to go and leave everything behind? Having your own company sounds like a stable job, if the place is running alright of course. At least you know what you're going to do most of the days, where you will be. Now you don't even know where in the world you are in a few weeks from now."

"Isn't that the challenge?'

"You tell me. Why did you decide to take the job?"

"Honestly, because I have nothing to stay home for." Her voice went sad when she said the words out loud. It was the first time she said them. She didn't even say them to herself, or to Mike Armstrong when she made the deal.

"What do you mean?" The guy sounded interesting.

She didn't know why, but she somehow trusted him and had to get her story out. "A few weeks ago I thought I had everything. The most amazing daughter in the world. She was in college, Yale, one of the best universities in the country. I thought she was going to have everything I didn't have; just that feeling alone… I had the best boyfriend in the world. The perfect guy. The one…"

"What happened?"

"Rory started seeing a boy, the kind of guy I hoped my daughter would stay away from. The kind of guy I always stayed away from. I thought I had taught her that, but I was wrong. My parents think he's perfect. He's rich, comes from a good family. That 'good' family of his doesn't think my daughter is good enough for their son. They made that very clear the first time they met her. But she stayed with him anyway, and he manipulates her into doing things she never normally would never do. And his father manipulated her into dropping out of Yale."

The guy remained silent and waited for Lorelai to continue.

"When she told me that she was dropping out of Yale I thought my heart stopped. I tried to explain to her why it was the wrong choice to make, but she wouldn't listen. So I went to my parents and asked for their help. They wanted her to go to Yale so badly. Rory always wanted to go to Harvard, but she went to Yale because of them. I thought they would help me, and they told me they would. We set up a dinner date, where we were going to talk to her, together. I came a little early, so we could discuss things through, only to find out my parents turned against me and supported my daughter's decision. Even worse, she moved in with them."

"Ok, wow…"

"I ran away from my parents when I was 16 and I thought that my daughter liked the life I've build for the two of us, but apparently I was wrong. She was supposed to have more than me, but now…." She shook her head, as she had to wipe away a few tears.

"Maybe it's good that you're leaving so your daughter can solve her problems on her own. She must be like, 20 years old now?" Lorelai nodded. "Maybe it's hard but you have to let her make her own mistakes so she can learn from them, and all you can do is hope that things will be okay again one day."

"But that's hard. I want to protect her and I don't want her to make the same mistakes I made when I was her age. Of course it was different because I got pregnant when I was 16 and my daughter isn't and I don't think she will be, she's responsible when it comes to that, but… It took me 16 years to get a college degree, and even then it was community college. It took me almost 19 years to accomplish all my dreams and to open the Inn with my best friend."

"The Inn you're giving up on now?"

"It's not the Inn. I love the Inn; it's just everything else I want to get away from. I can't face the place, it reminds me of everything."

"So you're running away from your problems."

She was shocked at the man's statement. How dare he say something like that? Who was he to judge her and the choices she made in her life. Why was she telling him this anyway? "I have to go."

"No, you don't. You're flight still has the same status so it looks like you're not going anywhere any time soon. I'm sorry for putting it this way, but don't you think it's true?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Why don't you go bother someone else?" And to the bartender she said. "Can you get me another one?"

"Of course ma'am."

"Okay I'm really sorry. You don't have to answer that question. Let's talk about something else. How about your boyfriend. You said he was perfect, what happened?"

Lorelai sighed. Even though she didn't want to talk to the guy anymore it felt good to get her story out. "He didn't think of me as perfect."

"Did he say that?"

"No, not in those words."

"Then what happened?"

"I asked him to marry me and he said no. I think that says enough."

"You asked him to marry you and he said no? And you ran off after that?"

"Not immediately. I tried to talk him into deciding differently but after I realized that that wouldn't work I ran off. I got this job a few days later."

"How long has it been?"

"Ten days. I would have left sooner, but there were some problems with the paper work and stuff."

"And have you talked to your boyfriend in those days?"

"Why should I? He was very clear that night."

"What did he say?"

"I already told you. He said no."

"Okay."

"I came home the night I went to my parents to talk to my daughter. I found out they stabbed me in the back. I saw my daughter that night. She looked at me but she turned away and continued what she was doing. After driving around in my car I went to the only place I knew. Luke's."

"Luke's your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. I went to his diner. He was just closing up, but I'm always allowed to come in no matter what time. Well, that's the kind of privilege you get as a girlfriend, although I even was allowed to do so when I wasn't his girlfriend yet. He was my best friend for years and we started dating a year ago. I think there was something between us for a long time, maybe even from the moment we met, but we were too afraid to admit it."

"So, you went to him, then what?"

"I explained to him what happened that night. And he started ranting about how we were going to get my daughter back in school in the fall. I saw him going on and on how we could fix it, together, and I knew. I knew that he is the guy I want to spend the rest of my life with. I was thinking about how he's been there for me all those years and for my daughter. And even though my parents and my daughter turned against me, he was still with me and I knew I wanted to marry him, so I asked him."

"And he said no?"

"First he said 'What?' Then I repeated my question, he thought about it, and he said no. I asked him why not."

_- Flashback -  
_"I'm sorry Lorelai, but I can't marry you. Not right now. This is not right. You've been through a lot today or the last few days and you can't make a decision like this, not now."

"But Luke, I really want this. I've wanted this for so long. You know that. The whole package. I always thought that the whole package would be with Rory included, giving her a real dad. And even though that's what you've been for her for years now, your earlier rant proves that you feel it as well, I don't know if she can be in it, but I still want it, and I want it with you."

"You can't be serious Lorelai."

"But it's never been more clear to me than it is now. I know I want this. I want you. And even though it feels like I have to choose between you and my daughter, I still want it. Luke you have to trust me, I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

He took in her words and thought about them before he replied. "I don't want you feeling like you have to choose between Rory and me, Lorelai. I really want to be with you but I can't marry you right now."

"It wouldn't be now. It takes a few months to plan a wedding." She tried to lighten the situation with a joke.

"I know that Lorelai. But I can't tell you that I can marry you at this moment. I'm sorry."

"Me too." Suddenly she felt like she lost everything at the time. Not only her daughter, but also her man as well. He didn't want to marry her and that hurt so much. She tried to pull herself up and had trouble when her legs had to carry the weight of her body but she managed to stay up and to walk away.

"Lorelai wait."

She turned around, the expression on her face a bit hopeful.

"Don't go. You don't have to go, I want you to stay. We can talk about this later but please don't stay by yourself tonight."

She shook her head as she left the diner, not looking back when Luke called her name again. She stepped into her jeep and drove home.  
_- End flashback -_

When Lorelai told the man the whole story she had to stop once in a while to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat.

"He didn't say he doesn't want to marry you at all."

"He said no. He was pretty clear."

"You just told me he said he couldn't marry you at the moment, or tell you at the moment he wants to marry you. It doesn't mean he wants to break up with you, or that he never wants to marry you."

"I tried to make it clear it wasn't about the previous events that I asked him that question. It was the most important question I had asked ever in my life and he said no. It's over now. I'm going to Rome and to wherever the wind takes me from there. Maybe I will find the perfect guy one day and settle down with him, wherever that will be."

"Didn't you said that he was the perfect guy?"

"He was. I thought he was. I guess my instinct was once again wrong." She shook her head trying to fight back tears. She wanted to be strong. She only cried the night after the proposal. The next morning she woke up and made the decision that took her here.

"From the way you talk about him, the look in your eyes when you do, I think you still think he is, and that your instinct was right."

"Don't say that, please, this is hard enough as it is. I gave him the chance and he didn't take it. I'm not that young anymore and I've been thinking about other people first all my life, it's time to think about myself now."

"And you think you're making the right decision, stepping in that plane in a few hours and going to Rome, running away from your problems. From your family and friends, and the dreams you once had."

"Dreams fade away and are replaced with new ones."

"Maybe, but everything at once?"

"I can always come back when I feel like it. I still have my Inn and my house."

"Do you think that will happen?"

"I don't know, maybe. Maybe not. But it's time to go on with my life and make the best out of it, even though it's not what I hoped for all these years."

"The whole package?"

She smiled slightly. "Yeah, the whole package."

"I'm sure you can still get it. If you go back to Luke and tell him what you just told me, I'm sure you can work things out. I'm sure he loves you just as much as you love him. Years of friendship and him being on your side when everybody else turned against you prove that. The look in your eyes proves that."

"It's too late."

"Don't say that. It's never too late."

"It is." She shook her head.

"I once thought that. I know you must be wondering why I came to talk to you. I basically live at airports. Airports and hotel rooms. I'm an investor and travel all around the world as well. Once, a long time ago I thought it was the perfect job. I had the most amazing girlfriend. She got pregnant and I got scared so when they offered me the job I took it. I took the job and lost everything I had. I have no friends because you can't show up once a year and expect them to be happy to see you. My girlfriend found herself another guy who now is the father of my son. I see him once a year and send him presents, but I can't say I'm his father.

And don't ask me why I don't give up my job now and do what I want. I think that is because of the same reason you have, because I'm scared. I've been living like this for years now and I'm afraid to go back to the normal world. I lost everything I had and I know I can never get it back; it's just too late for that. But it's not for you. You have a daughter who loves you even though you and her aren't on the same page at the moment. You have parents who probably love you a lot and miss you but most of all you have a guy who loves you and is probably devastated that you left."

Lorelai swallowed hard. She wanted to believe this man's words, but she couldn't. He was a stranger, who's name she didn't even know. "I never got your name."

"Tom. Tom Hollander."

"Lorelai Gilmore." They shook each other's hands.

"Nice meeting you Lorelai." Tom smiled. "You know, not that I want to scare you, but you're the first person I had a normal conversation with in six months. I talk enough because of my job, but it's all business. You'd think you meet enough people if you travel around the world, but the truth is, it's the loneliest job there is. You're always by yourself. Like I said, I have no friends and even the few relatives I still talk to, are almost unreachable because of the time difference."

"That sounds sad, but you're still not willing to give it up. Then why are you telling me to give it up?"

"Because you don't really want this. You're just running away from your problems and think this can make you happy. But you look like a woman that needs the people she loves around her. You call it the whole package. Your friends, your family. You're hurt because of the things that happened but it's not too late to do something about it. And that's what I'm trying to tell you. Even if you go take that flight to Rome later this day or even tomorrow, make sure that the first second you think that it's not what you want, you take the first plane home because it won't change, no matter how much you want it to, it won't. Trust me."

"I want it. I really do."

Then trough the sirens an announcement was heard. "Delta Airlines flight 3158 to Montreal is now ready for boarding at gate C12."

"That's me, I have to go. I hope you make the right choice. But remember what I said, it's not too late."

"It's not too late for you either. I'll think about what you said, but you think about a permanent position at any office as well. You're not too old to get a family and friends if you still want it."

"Thanks. I'll think about it. It was nice to meet you Lorelai. Take care."

"It was nice meeting you Tom."

Lorelai watched how the man walked away and thought about what he had said earlier. She ordered another drink as she let everything sink in. What if he was right? He was living the life she was about to live. The kind of life she thought about the last few weeks. While she was with Luke she didn't have to think long, even though she told him she was mulling. It was a lie; she knew it and she thought he knew it, too. She doubted it now. All the events, maybe she was too fast in her decision-making. Maybe Luke really wanted her. He had called her name when she walked out of the door and didn't look back. It was the hardest thing she ever did; walking away on the man she loved so much. And now she was doing it again. She truly thought it was the best decision. That's what she told Sookie when they discussed this and the Inn a few days ago. Sookie doubted if it was the right decision, but Lorelai was completely sure. This was what she wanted.

"Delta Airlines flight 8223 to Rome is departing at 8.45 from gate C8."

Lorelai looked at her watch. 7.30. only an hour and 15 minutes probably even less until they would start boarding the plane. She paid the bartender and stood up, taking her purse with her. She walked towards the right gate and saw the receptionist already helping people with their boarding passes. She walked to the window and saw how an airplane took off. That's what she kept doing, letting all the thoughts float from her mind as she watched the airplanes disappear into the sky. It looked so simple. Stepping in an airplane and taking off, being free. Was it really as simple as it looked like?

-xxxxx-  
The diner was starting to slow down. Dinner rush had been busier than it had been for a long time. Maybe it was because of all the people in town for vacation, but maybe it was because Lane was gone and he and Caesar had to handle the diner alone. He didn't know nor did he care. He didn't care about anything right now. Not after today. From the moment Lorelai had walked away that night, after he'd said 'no' to her proposal, he had been hoped that she would come back to talk to him. To beg him to change his answer and pout him into doing so.

He wanted to go to her but he didn't, knowing she needed the time. It wasn't until this morning when Patty came into his diner, that he knew she left. She took the job offer she was mulling over earlier. She left the Inn. She left her house. She left her hometown. She left him. She didn't even say goodbye. It hurt and all he wanted to do was go upstairs and drink away his sorrow, but he had to run the diner. People expected him to be there and he tried as much as he could, but it wasn't working. He missed her. He really missed her and he wished he had gone after her that night, or even one of the days after. But he kept looking up at his door, every time the bell rang, expecting her to walk in.

He wanted to explain why he said no to her that night and that no at that moment didn't meant not at all. He really wanted to marry her one day, but he wanted to do it right. With Nicole he had rushed into a marriage and that didn't work out at all. Of course that marriage was doomed from the beginning. He wasn't in love with Nicole, and only dated her because he thought he had no chance with Lorelai. He was so happy when he got that chance, and being with her made him happier than he'd ever been. He thought they were doing great and that she would understand that 'no' didn't mean that he wanted to break up with her. He just wanted some more time to think it over. He thought about it before she asked him and he knew he wanted to marry her. He wanted to do it right. He wanted to give her a ring and ask her when the time was right. He knew she meant it when she asked him.

-xxxxx-  
"Delta Airlines flight 8223 to Rome is now ready for boarding at gate C8."

Then the voice from the woman behind the desk was heard through the speakers. "We're ready to board flight DL 8223 to Rome. We're starting with the people in section 1. We're boarding only section 1 now, so if you have any other section you have to wait a little longer."

Lorelai looked at her boarding pass and saw the big 1. She was flying first class. She never flew first class before and when she got her ticket, she felt really special. She walked into the line but then stepped out of it again.

"Excuse me."

'It's not too late.' Tom's words kept running through her mind. What if he was right? What if Luke still wanted her? She knew she still wanted him. Rome sounded like a great opportunity, but it wasn't what she really wanted. She knew that the second her father had mentioned Mike Armstrong. She only agreed to the meeting because her father was proud of her. For the first time in her life he was proud of her and she wanted to hold on to that feeling so she decided to meet Mike Armstrong. She never intended to take his job offer.

"We're now boarding sections 1 and 2. Only sections 1 and 2 at this time."

Lorelai looked at her boarding pass again, then glanced outside just in time to see another airplane take off. She could be there about half an hour from now, maybe a little more. She shook her head and closed her eyes. While closing her eyes she saw Luke. She saw his face with a beautiful smile, a smile he only showed her. When she opened her eyes again they were filled with tears.

"Excuse me." A women pushed passed Lorelai and she realized she was standing in the way.

"Sorry." She took a few steps backwards so she wouldn't be a trouble to anyone while she tried to make up her mind.

"We're now boarding seats in every section. 1, 2 and 3."

Lorelai saw how everybody stood up and stood in line. She took a few more steps to the side as she watched how they all disappeared behind the door, one by one. The line was getting shorter, so she knew she had to make up her mind soon. Again her mind wandered back to Tom's words. She kept thinking and didn't noticed how the line stopped until she heard her name through the speaker.

"Passengers Gilmore, Anderson and Wesley your flight DL 8223 to Rome is now boarding from gate C8."

She looked up into the eyes of the stewardess, who was ready to take her boarding pass. She stepped forward and inhaled deeply before she said. "I'm sorry. I can't go."

"Excuse me ma'am?"

"I don't want to go. I'm not ready."

"But the plane's leaving now ma'am."

"I know. Let it leave without me. I don't want to go."

"You sure?"

A smile appeared on her face as she said "I've never been more sure in my life."

-xxxxx-  
Luke was in his apartment. He was sitting on his couch, sipping his beer. A few empty beer bottles were laying on the floor and he kept reminding himself of the mistakes he had made. He thought that if he would drink enough beer, it would keep him from thinking at some point, only until now, it only made his feelings worse. He kept thinking about what he did wrong and how it was too late now. He'd do anything to do it over. To fix the mistakes he made and to get Lorelai back. All he could do now was wait until she came back, if she would ever come back. But why should he wait? It wasn't too late to fix his mistakes. He could go after here and tell her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He could go to Rome to take her home. Suddenly determined to do something, he stood up, a little shaky on his legs because of all the beer, but he stood up and picked up all the empty beer bottles, throwing them in the trash. Then he started looking for the yellow pages so he could get himself a plane ticket.

He found a number of an airline so he picked up the phone and dialed the number. He waited for someone to pick up as he searched for a pen and a piece of paper. He didn't even realize that it was the middle of the night and he didn't hear how someone walked into the diner, climbed the stairs to the apartment and quietly opened the door and stepped in. He was lost in his thoughts and busy with his actions, completely oblivious to everything around in.  
He was lucky he called a 24 hours service so finally someone picked up.

"How may I help you?" The woman asked after she introduced herself and her company.

"This is Luke Danes. I would like a ticket to Rome, the first one available."

"Rome. Let me see Mr. Danes." He listened how the woman used the keys on her keyboard.

"The next ticket I have available is Saturday a week from now."

"That's not an option. I have to get to Rome faster."

"I'm sorry sir, but there are no seats available earlier. I can always put you on a standby list, but it could take days before a seat will be available. I'm sorry."

"You don't understand. The woman I love went to Rome and I have to go after her. I let her go and that was a mistake. I thought she would come back but she's on her way to Rome now so I have to go after her. I don't want to wait a week or even a day. I need her back in my life. Please, you have to help me."

"I'm sorry, Sir. You could always check a different airline."

"Yeah whatever." He hung up and threw the phone away frustrated.

Then he heard someone cough behind him. He turned around and saw Lorelai standing there with tears in her eyes. He had to blink a few times; not believing it was really her.

"Luke." She whispered, her voice almost breaking.

He took a few big steps towards her and took her in his arms. "I thought you were gone. I just called the airline because I wanted to come and get you. I'm so sorry for what happened. I thought you understood why I said no and I thought you would come to me when you were ready, but I was wrong. I'm so sorry Lorelai. I'm so sorry."

She sniffled. "I'm sorry too Luke. I was at the airport ready to go, but then the flight was delayed until further notice so I went to a bar. After a few drinks a guy sat down next to me and we started talking and he kept saying that I was making a mistake. That this job wasn't what I wanted and that it wasn't too late to come back. After he left his words kept running around in my mind and when my flight was about to leave I couldn't go in. I had them take my luggage of and took the next flight to Hartford, and from there I took a cab straight here."

"I'm so glad you're here Lorelai. I'm really so sorry."

"Me too."

"I thought I had lost you."

"I thought I had lost you, too. But I don't want to talk anymore Luke. It's all I've been doing… I just want to forget about everything and get some sleep."

"That's okay. We can talk tomorrow."

"Thanks. I better go home now then."

"You're not going anywhere. The last ten days have been like hell for me. I can't sleep without you next to me. The moment you walked out of the diner that night I wanted to follow you but I knew you had to be alone. I didn't sleep that night and I hardly slept the days after. I drank God knows how many beers tonight hoping that I could stop thinking and that I could finally sleep. And I know I can't without you next to me. I don't…."

She silenced him with a kiss. "I can't sleep without you next to me either. I just didn't know if you would still have me."

"I never want to lose you, ever again. I love you Lorelai." He looked her in the eyes as he spoke those words making sure she got every word he was saying.

"I love you too Luke." She smiled.

"Good, now let's get some sleep. Where's your suitcase. Do you have any clothes?"

"I lost it. They didn't get the whole transfer the suitcase from Rome airplane to Hartford airplane but they promised I would get it within two days."

"Doesn't matter. There some of your clothes here or you can just wear some of mine."

"I'd prefer that."

"Me too." He walked to his closet and handed her her favorite flannel shirt. "You can use the bathroom first."

"Thanks." She walked into the bathroom.

Luke watched her walk away and let himself fall onto his couch. He couldn't believe how everything changed again. He couldn't believe she was really here and that she was staying. He didn't know whom she had talked to, but if he could he would thank the guy because he gave him Lorelai back. He sighed as he looked around his apartment and thought about how his life changed several times the last few weeks. First his plans with the Twickham house where Kirk was moving in now, then Lorelai leaving him and everything else and now she was back. He thought that it couldn't be real. That he somehow fell asleep after drinking all that beer and that he was a having a wonderful dream. It wasn't until Lorelai came back from the bathroom he realized it wasn't a dream. She was really there.

-xxxxx-  
The next day Luke woke up at 5.30. He had to open the diner but when he felt Lorelai in his arms, he couldn't move. He didn't care that Kirk would be at his door in half an hour, screaming for him to let him in. He didn't care that other people would be joining Kirk soon, waiting for breakfast. All he wanted was to enjoy the feeling of Lorelai in his arms and he wanted it to last as long as possible. With that exact same thought he fell back asleep a few minutes later.

Lorelai woke up and when she tried to turn around, her eyes still closed, she noticed she couldn't move. Something was holding her. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw Luke, still sleeping, holding her tight. A smile appeared on her face as she remembered how she ended up here. She could have been in Rome at this exact moment but she knew now that she had made the right choice. Tom had been right when he told her it wasn't too late and that Luke still loved her. She was glad she met Tom because otherwise she wouldn't be here, in the place she belonged. And she hoped he would make the right choice as well to get his life together. She knew that it was most likely she would never see him again though, so she would never know.

"What are you thinking?" Luke opened his eyes and was staring at her.

"How lucky I am to be here right now and how different things could have gone."

"I'm glad you're here Lorelai."

"I'm glad to be here." They were both silent, lost in their own thoughts. And it was Lorelai who broke the silence after a few minutes. "Luke?"

"Hmm..."

"Why did you say no?" She was obviously ready to talk now.

"Because it wasn't right. Not the thought of marrying you, because there's nothing in the world I'd rather do than marry you, but the timing was wrong Lorelai. You were upset because of what has happened with Rory and your parents and that led you to me. You thought I was the only thing left in your life and because you were afraid of losing me, you asked me to marry you."

"That's not true. I know I didn't think about it before, but I was never more serious in my life Luke. Never."

"I know. I know you truly meant what you said but that doesn't make it right. I wanted you think about it and I wanted to do it right you know?"

"I don't understand. You know I was serious? You want to marry me, then what's the problem?" She tried to pull away from him but he wouldn't let her go.

"You said that you felt like you had to choose between Rory and me. Your parents will never approve of me and there was enough pressure on you as there is. The day we get engaged has to be one of the happiest days of our lives."

"Luke…"

"No let me finish. When we get engaged I want you to remember that day because of that and not because of the bad things that have happened. Rory dropping out of Yale, your parents turning their back on you, those are not happy events and the kind of things I want you to remember our engagement by Lorelai. I'd lie if I said I never thought about it. To tell you the truth I wanted to buy the Twickham house for us to raise our children in. I know you're thinking now, 'That's what he meant'. Yes, that's what I meant. I've thought about marrying you for such a long time and I know that when the timing is right we will."

Lorelai had tears in her eyes again touched by Luke's words. "The Twickham house? I thought Kirk bought it."

"He did, after I gave it up. That afternoon you were showing me your gift basket and told me you were mulling, I thought we weren't on the same page. I went to Taylor and told him I was out. That night you proposed to me but then everything else happened so I never went back to him and let Kirk have the house. Even though I loved that house I figured that it doesn't matter where I live, as long as we're together. Plus, without you the house meant nothing anyway."

"I don't know if I could leave my house. There are so many memories there and I figured that when we would get married, we would move in there."

"There's not enough space to raise kids. I mean, if you want them of course, because if you don't it's fine by me."

"Remember the whole package Luke? I want it and I want us to have a kid, together. And the house is big enough now that Rory moved out." She looked away while she spoke those words.

"Don't say that Lorelai. I know you're not on speaking terms right now, but you will figure it out. I know that."

"How do you know it Luke? I don't know when it started but she's…. I've been losing her piece-by-piece. She started changing and I think that started last summer but it became worse when she started seeing Logan. He changed her. She always knew what she wanted, but now she's lost. And I lost her. I don't know if we can fix it, I really don't."

"You will. The two of you are so close and even though she changed, she stills needs you. She grew up, probably faster than you thought. She will always need you and she will go back to school. It's what she always wanted and she will realize that she made a mistake and she comes running back to you."

"I hope so Luke, but I don't know anything anymore. She's not the girl I raised anymore. She's not Rory anymore. It's like the good Rory is replaced by an evil Rory. Maybe aliens have taken her and they sent a substitute Rory and she's evil and she ruins everything the good Rory worked for. That has to be it. We have to call the FBI and report it. We need Mulder and Scully, they…"

"Lorelai stop."

She stopped talking and looked at him, knowing a joke couldn't solve the problems she was having. "You're all I have left Luke and I'm so scared that I could lose you, too."

"No. You will never lose me. I promise you, I will always be with you. I love you more than anything in the world Lorelai, and you won't lose me."

That's when she started crying. She hadn't cried since the day after the proposal and she didn't cry because of Rory then, but because of losing Luke. She had pushed all the thoughts from her mind and did what she was good at. She ran. She ran away from her problems and if nobody had stopped her, she would still be doing that. Of course she had to swallow away a big lump in her throat once in a while or blink away a few tears. But she told herself it wasn't worth crying over, but now it was all she could do. She was sobbing hard while Luke held her close to his body. He didn't say anything, he just held her. And when her tears finally subsided, she knew. She knew that Luke would always be there for her and that the 'no' to her proposal didn't meant he didn't want to be with her anymore. And she knew that it'll happen when the time is right and that he'll surprise her at a moment she'll least expect it, even though she felt that now that they had talked about it and their future, they were a little engaged already.

**The end**


End file.
